Sophia Rowland Mrs. Henderson Honors English May 14th The Heroine’s Journey Throughout history, stories of women have followed a cyclical experience similar to the hero’s journey. Initially recognized by Maureen Murdock in 1990, the heroine’s journey is one of self-fulfillment, where the protagonist finds herself separating from the feminine and enduring trials before an awakening, in which the healing of both the masculine and feminine takes place. While Leif Enger's novel Peace Like a River focuses on a male protagonist and his journey, Enger also provides a female character, Swede Land, with her own heroic journey. Swede's journey begins with a traumatic event, one that forever alters her life. With a changed world outlook, she begins experiencing life differently, switching the narrative of her epic poem, which she would…show more content… Enger used these moments to focus on Swede’s drive and resilience, along with the self-awareness that she was the one who had to step up when no one else could. The Lands eventually find out that Davy has escaped jail. This feeds into Swede’s love for the Wild West and its fantastic adventures. The family decides to embark on a trip to find Davy, and Swede writes more tales in her epic poem. In an awakening of feelings, the heroine reconnects with her femininity and lets go of old beliefs. During the family’s journey to find Davy, they encounter a woman, Roxanna, a kind proprietor who quickly welcomes them. The Lands take shelter at her house for days while the search for Davy continues. Roxanna and Swede also become very close, with Swede even being “Wholly taken away with the ambrosial thought of staying on at Roxannah’s” (Enger 204). This is because Enger made Roxanna a mother figure for Swede. She teaches her how to nurture and care for animals and shares her experience growing up motherless, deepening their connection and helping Swedes deepen her connection with her feminine
